Over the past number of years the art of telephone networks has significantly evolved past the almost obsolete inband signaling systems where voice and signaling information is carried between network switches on the same medium. Telephone networks known as “intelligent networks” have evolved in which telephone services including signaling and control service functions are performed by independent processors rather than by a local switch or a local switching processor. Common channel signaling and control systems carry large volumes of signaling and control information to support high traffic networks. Such a system is often in the form of a separate network which connects the various network switches to centralized computer systems of significant intelligence and which have access to substantial databases as needed. Through the use of this centralized intelligence supported by synchronized databases, the operations of an entire network can be controlled and its performance enhanced and monitored from end to end. Various intelligent network systems are in use today including Nortel Signaling System 7 (SS7), 1AESS and 5AESS electronic switching systems from AT&T, and Digital Electronic Switching System (EWSD) from Siemens. In such systems the service logic is implemented external to the switches for handling the voice messages and which are interconnected by voice trunks. Such separate service logic also allows for significantly faster call setup and call completion. Such separate service logic allows for database queries and the delivery of a variety of customer calling features such as caller identification or name identification, selective ringing or priority ringing, selective call forwarding, call block or call screen, repeat dialing, call trace and call return. Subscribers today are requesting increased and more complex service offerings referred to generally as “enhanced services” including 1-800 service, 1-900 service, selective call waiting, voice mail/messaging and prepaid service. Such services are handled by the separate service logic network by interconnecting the subscriber with a service node as needed and which is not normally part of the network.
In addition to the wired telephone system, wireless telephone service or cellular service is becoming increasingly popular. Subscribers of these latter services just referenced are also requesting enhanced telephone services in the same way that they are available to wire connected subscribers. Cellular subscribers are able to interconnect with the present day digital intelligent network of the telephone system and such a subscriber can obtain many of the services that a subscriber connected by wire to the telephone network would receive. Many such subscribers also want access to the enhanced services available in intelligent networks. Cellular subscribers could benefit from new services including: prepaid services, prime line (follow-me number), add or remove features on a cellular account, name that number, account balance.
Telephone companies also see the need to be able to provide a greater pool of functional components with which to build applications for subscribers and desire to also offer service bureau type services. In the North American mobility network, the wireless intelligent network is interconnected by the use of signaling protocols referred to an Interim Standard IS41, formally referred to as TIA/EIA-41, based on an ANSI standard. In Europe, the established standard for wireless networks is Global System for Mobile Communications (GSMC). As a result of these protocols, certain functionality problems exist which are inconvenient for subscribers and unattractive to service providers. Such shortcomings may include the requirement for two-stage dialing by a subscriber requiring authentication before a call can be completed. In general, the result of adhering to the signaling protocols for the wireless system prevents the signaling transfer point of a digital switch enabled telephone network to connect enhanced services provided by service nodes of the digital telephone system to a subscriber of a wireless network. Solutions to these and other wireless/wire network problems have not been proposed or implemented prior to the subject invention.
An example of a wireless system for interconnecting to the public telephone network is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,497,424 entitled “Spread Spectrum Wireless Telephone System” to Jeffrey S. Vanderpool, which issued Mar. 5, 1996. This patent describes arrangements for providing public access by means of cellular telephones to public telephone networks. Mobile persons can have contact with each other and also have access to enhanced features of an intelligent telephone network. By using described communication techniques, user stations can communicate via base stations to private exchange telephone networks as well as public telephone networks.
A reference that provides a general understanding of enhanced services offered by telephone companies is U.S. Pat. No. 4,878,240 entitled “Multi-Service Telephone Switching System”, which issued to Steve M. Lin et al on Oct. 31, 1989. This reference describes the use of a programmable adjunct in conjunction with a programmed telephone switch to provide enhanced services at the request of telephone subscribers.